Floor clamp or jack.



J. McBREAIRTY. FLOOR CLAMP 0R JACK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZh 1915.

1,182,284. Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS -SHEET I.

Fri.

amwwboz @NTTE srarns rains JOHN MOBREAIRTY, OF DICKEY, MAINE.

FLOOR CLAMP OR. JACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed June 21, 1915. Serial No. 35,430.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MCBREAIRTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dickey, in the county of Aroostook and State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor Clamps or Jacks;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled seamsin floors caused by shrinkage or warpage of the planks.

Another object is to provide a powerful and quick acting device of thischaracter which may be used equally well for laying floors on joists orupon the top of other flooring.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and the combination and arrangements ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of ajack constructed in accordance with this invention showing it applied;Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspectiveview ofone-of. the floor dogs; Fig. .4

is a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section takenon the line 55 of Figs; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the baseplate carrying the wedge shaped ratchet member. i

In the embodiment illustrated a base plate 1 is shown which is designedto rest on a joist or floor and which is hereshowiiwith its upper faceinclined downwardly from its rear toward its front end and rising fromsaid base midway the width thereof is a wedge-shaped ratchetmember 2having forwardly inclined teeth 3 on its upper edge for a purpose to bedescribed. The rear end of this member 2 is beveled downwardly andrearwardly to form a stop for limiting the forward movement of theoperating lever to bedescribed. The rear end of this base 1 isbifurcated and between the furcations 3 thereof is pivotally mounted oneend of a lever 4. The end of this lever which is mounted between thesefurcations 3 is reduced as shown at 5 to adapt it to fit between thefurcations 8 and to provide on opposite sides of said reduced endshoulders 6 which are herein shown rounded and which are adapted toengage the upper face of the base 1 when the lever is swung forwardlyfor limiting its movement in this direction; This lever is providedintermediatelv of its ends preferably near the pivoted end thereof witha longitudinally extending slot 7 opening edgewise through the lever andprovided at the front thereof in its lower end wall with a dog 8 for apurpose to be described. 1

Two dogs?) and 10 are pivotallymounted on the ratchet member 2 beinghere shown provided with laterally extending arms 9' and 10 which arearranged on opposite faces of said member 2 and through which and saidmember the connecting pintle 11 extends. These dogs 9 and 10 areprovided with biting ends or points 12 which are designed to be driveninto the floor or joist on which the device is to be mounted for securely holding the base plate in operative engagement therewith and toprevent movement of said base plate during the operation of the clamp orjack as will be hereinafter more fullv described.

A slide in the form of a head 14 is carried by the lever 4 and arrangedtransversely of the clamp and is designed to engage the boards to beoperated on' as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. This head 14: is providedmidway its ends with a pair of laterally and inwardly extending spacedapertured lugs or ears 15 between which is pivotally mounted a detent ordog 16 having its free end tapered and rounded and which extendsinwardly or rearwardly and is designed to engage the teeth 3 of theratchet member 2 to hold the head 14 in adjusted floor engaging positionwhile the lever which actuates the head is being moved to. take afreshgrip. Two arms 17 are connected with, the opposite ends of the head14 and are preferably curved longitudinally to position their free endsin a plane above, their connected ends, said free ends/converging towardeach other and provided on their inner faces with recesses 18 which areadapted to receive the head in form with the arm 20 extending rearwardlyfrom the vertex thereof. This head is secured in position between thearms 17 by bolts or other suitable fastening elements and the front endthereof abuts against the shoulders 18 formed by the inner ends of therecesses 18 so that pressure exerted on the arm 20 will be, communicatedto the arms 17 and through them to the head 1%.

'The arm 20 is provided on its lower edge with ratchet teeth 21 and isdesigned to pass through the slot 7 in the lever 1, said teeth 21 beingadapted to engage the dog 8 of said lever whereby the lever and arm arerigidly connected when the lever is moved forwardly to exert force andcause the slide 13 to move against the floor to be operated on and whenmore force is designed to be exerted the lever is moved rearwardly totake a fresh grip on another tooth of the arm 20, the dog or detent 16then engaging the teeth 3 of the ratchet member 2 and holding the headlocked in operative engagement with the floor while sa'id lever is beingso moved.

As shown the head 14 is provided in 1ts opposite ends on its inner facewith notches 14 to receive the ends of the arm 17, said notches beinginclined inwardly and clownwardly from their outer ends to provide forthe connection of said arms 17 in position to cause their free ends toconverge and yet adapt them to transmit pressure or force from themdirectly to said head.

In the use of this'jack or clamp the spurs 12 of the dogs 9 and 10 aredriven into the plank or other stationary object on which the clamp isto be mounted and the head 14 is placed against the board B to be setup. The parts are so arranged and designed that when this occurs thepawl or detent 16 will engage the teeth 3 on the rack 2 and the lever 1may be in vertical position or slightly inclined forward. This lever isthen moved rearwardly to cause the dog 8 thereof to engage one of theteeth 21 and will thus produce great pressure on the board B through thehead 14: and at the same time the'peculiar curvature of the arms 17serves to hold said head down against the flooring and absolutelyprevents any sidewise motion or tipping of the head. As the lever ispushed down or forward .the pawl 16 travels along the rack 2 and whenthe curved shoulders 6 of the lever engage the base 1 no furthermovement can occur and it is then necessary to take a fresh'grip on arm20 which is accomplished by moving the lever at rearwardly, the dog 8thereof'sliding over the teeth 21 of said arm 20 during this operationand the pawl 16 locking the head'against rearward movement. The lever isthen again moved forwardly to exert further pressure through the headlet on the board B.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a floor jack, the combination of a base having a ratchet memberrising therefrom, a lever fulcrumed in said base at the rear of saidratchet member, a dog carried by said lever, a slide having a head atone end and a ratchet arm at the other positioned to engage said dog, afloor engaging dog carried by saidbase, and a pawl carried by said headwith its rear end extending rearwardly to engage the ratchet member ofthe base. i a

2. In a floor jack, the combination of a base having a ratchet memberrising therefrom, a lever fulcrumed on said base at the rear of saidratchet member, said lever having a slot with a dog therein, a slidehaving a head at one end andaratchet arm at the other, said,- armextending through and oper-' T ating in the slot of said lever with itsteeth arranged to engage the dog thereof when the lever is movedin onedirection, a floor engaging dog carried by said base, and a pawl carriedby said head with its rear end extending'rearwardly to engage theratchet member of the base.

3; In a floor jack the combination of a base, a pair of floor engagingdogs pivotally mounted on said base to swing in a ver tical plane, awedge-shaped member mount-v ed on said base with its'small end extendingforwardly and provided in its upper face with teeth inclining downwardlyand forwardly, a lever fulcrumed on said base, a

' head having a pawl for engaging the teeth said" base with its smallend extending forwardly and provided in its upper face withteethinclining downwardly and forwardly, a lever fulcrumed on said base, ahead having a pawl for engaging the teeth of said ratchet member, andmeans for adjustably, connecting said head with said lever, said meanscomprising arms rigidly secured to said head and converging toward theirfree ends, a ratchet bar secured between the converging ends of saidarms and provided with teeth, and a dog carried by said lever forcooperating engagement with said teeth.

5. In a floor jack the combination of a base plate having its upper faceinclined plate and having its upper edge inclined downwardly andforwardly and provided Gopies of thitpatent may be obtained for fivecents each, "by addressing the Washington, D. G.

Wardly extending rack bar, said lever having a guide to receive saidrack bar and 7 provided with a dog for engaging the teeth 15 thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

his JOHN MCBREAIRTY,

mark Witnesses GEORGE HENDERsoN, Lrzzm HENDERSON.

Commissioner of Patents.

